Message Selection Filter

You use this function to define filters for selecting messages that are to be processed with different priority, depending on the application case.

Together with the functions for defining the required senders and receivers and for registering and displaying queues, this function gives you the option of prioritized message processing . This enables you to put certain messages in a queue where they will be processed with a higher or lower priority than in other queues. You can change the number of predefined EOIO queues as required.

You have chosen Configuration → Filter for Prioritizing Queues in the Integration Engine menu and are on the screen for defining message filters for queue prioritization.

A message filter consists of a number of selection criteria and can be used in the following locations:

• Integration Engine (sender system)
• Integration Server (inbound Channel)
• Integration Server (outbound channel)
• Integration Engine (receiver system)

The choice of usage site depends on whether the client you are working in is configured as a business system or as the Integration Server.

All messages are checked at the selected usage site to see if they meet the message filter criteria. If they do, they are put in a queue with the queue prefix specified in this filter. The rest of the queue name is not significant. If none of the filters apply, a message is put in the usual queues with the prefixes XBTI, XBTO, XBQI, XBQO, XBTB, or XBQB.

You can add, change, delete, refresh, and reset message filters. You can also (de)activate and test a filter, and define the filter sequence.

You can display details for a message filter. The Sender and Receiver columns enable you to display the sender/receiver IDs that are already defined.

For the quality of service Exactly Once, you can define a filter for a corresponding outbound queue with the prefix XBTM. This queue is intended for messages that become particularly large during outbound processing, as a result of a mapping, for example. This queue can also be used to process large message packages.

Adding a Filter

New filters are always appended to the list of existing filters, and therefore are located at the end of the sequence.

The filter criteria that you specify vary according to the filter usage site. In each case, you have to specify:

• The type of the message (request message or acknowledgment)
• The sender or receiver, or both

  The sender or receiver must have a defined sender or receiver ID. They can then be selected by using the input help.

• The queue prefix

  You need the prefix to specify a queue for prioritizing message processing. At this stage it is irrelevant whether this queue already exists or if you still have to define it.

Specification of message size is optional. If you specify a message size, use the Operator to determine whether messages that are smaller or larger than the size specified will be filtered.

If you want to filter out messages with quality of service EOIO (Exactly Once In Order), you have to specify the name of the queue that identifies these messages. You can also enter an asterisk (*) here, on its own or in the form ABC*. To guarantee the processing sequence, the specified message queues are stopped until the messages have all been processed in their previous queues.

Changing a Filter

You can change all filter properties except the filter usage site by using change mode.

To change a filter, you must first deactivate it, change it, and then reactivate it. You cannot change active message filters.

Specifying a Filter Sequence

Since generic filter specifications make it possible for a message to be sorted by more than one filter, you can specify a filter sequence for the defined filters to ensure that a particular filter is used. To do this, choose Select and Move To.

Testing a Filter

To test whether a filter functions as required, choose Enter Test Message, which simulates an inbound message. This always determines the first filter in the filter sequence that meets the criteria of the simulated message. If the message is sorted by a filter other than the one you want to use, you have to change the filter sequence accordingly.

On the Integration Server, an input help containing the normalized address data (identifiers) is available to help you enter the message data. You can also use the alternative address data from the Integration Directory. You must use the alternative identifiers for IDocs because no normalized data is available.

There is no input help available in an Integration Engine. You have to enter the communication channel data specified in the Integration Directory manually in this case.

More information: Communication Profile